A small device that delivers gentle electrical pulses to a key nerve linked to the heart and brain could help improve fitness, according to an early trial. Researchers say wearing the stimulator on the outer ear for just 30 minutes a day increased oxygen intake during exercise.
The study, led by University College London and Queen Mary University of London, involved 28 healthy volunteers. Half wore the active device for a week, while the other half received a dummy version. Exercise tests conducted before and after the period showed those with the active stimulator could exercise more intensely.
Results published in the European Heart Journal indicated that the device boosted oxygen intake by 4 per cent, maximum breathing rate by an average of four breaths per minute, and maximum heart rate by four beats per minute during exercise. Blood samples from five participants also suggested a reduction in inflammation.
Professor Gareth Ackland, from Queen Mary University of London, said the trial's outcome aligns with evidence that the brain plays a role in exercise performance and immune regulation via the vagus nerve. He added that larger trials are needed but the findings could lead to new ways to improve heart health.
Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, noted that while more research is required involving people with cardiovascular disease, the technology could one day aid wellbeing for those with heart failure.
